King Arthur Page #2

The Pope's taken

a personal interest in you.

He inquires after each of you,

and is curious to know if your knights have

converted to the word of Our Savior or...?

They retain the religion of their forefathers.

l have never questioned that.

Of course, of course.

They are pagans. Hm?

For our part, the Church

has deemed such beliefs innocence,

but you, Arthur,

your path to God is through Pelagius?

- l saw his image in your room.

- He took my father's place for me.

His teachings on free will and equality

have been a great influence.

l look forward to our reunion in Rome.

Ah.

Rome awaits your arrival

with great anticipation.

You are a hero.

ln Rome, you will live out your days

in honor and wealth.

Alas...

Alas, we are all but players

in an ever-changing world.

Barbarians from every corner

are almost at Rome's door.

Because of this, Rome and the Holy Father

have decided to remove ourselves

from indefensible outposts,

such as Britain.

What will become of Britain

is not our concern anymore.

l suppose the Saxons will claim it soon.

- Saxons?

- Yes.

ln the north a massive

Saxon incursion has begun.

- The Saxons only claim what they kill.

- And only kill everything.

So you would just

leave the land to the Woads.

And l risked my life for nothing.

Hm.

Gentlemen,

your discharge papers with safe conduct

throughout the Roman Empire.

But first, l must have a word

with your commander.

- ln private.

- We have no secrets.

(slams table)

Come. Let's leave Roman business

to Romans.

Let it go, Bors.

Rome has issued a final order

for you and your men.

Final order?

You are to travel north

to rescue the family of Marius Honorius

and return, in particular,

with Marius's son, Alecto.

Alecto is the Pope's

favorite godchild and pupil.

lt is his destiny to become a bishop,

perhaps even pope one day.

On this day you ask this of my men.

On this day.

They have risked their lives for 1 5 years

for a cause not of their own.

And now, on the day they are to be

liberated, you send them on a mission

which is far more dangerous

than any other they have undertaken.

You tell me, Bishop,

how do l go to my men and tell them

that instead of freedom l offer death?

lf your men are truly the knights

of legend, perhaps some will survive.

lf it is God's will.

Your men want to go home,

and to get home they need to cross

the entire breadth of the Roman Empire.

Deserters would be hunted down like dogs.

Will you defy the Pope, Arthur?

Rome? God himself?

Everything l've done has been

for the Church and for Rome.

Do not mistake a loyal soldier

for a fool, Germanius.

Would you leave a defenseless

Roman boy, destined to lead our Church,

at the hands of the Saxons?

Fulfill this mission, and your men

will receive their discharge.

Their papers will be waiting here

the moment they return.

You have my word.

You think very hard upon that vow, Bishop,

for l will hold you to it.

Break it, and no Roman legion,

papal army,

nor God himself will protect you.

That is my word.

- (man) She gave me fleas.

- (man #2) You better hope they're fleas.

Best of three.

(baby mewling)

Who wants another drink?

- (Lancelot) Ahh.

- (sighs)

When you gonna leave Bors

and come home with me?

My lover is watching you.

Mmm...

You look nothing like him.

You're all Bors.

- Tristan...

- How do you do that?

l aim for the middle.

Oh, they want more!

- Here. Be a mother to your son.

- Oh, come here.

Dagonet, where you been?

We've got plans to make.

Here, please. Sing.

- No.

- Just a last one.

- No, l'm trying to work.

- Come sing. Shut up!

Vanora will sing.

- (Vanora) No, no.

- (chants of ''Sing!')

- (man) Sing about home.

- (Gawain) Don't drop the baby.

(singing fades)

(singing fades)

Arthur!

Arthur!

Arthur! You're not

completely Roman yet, right?

Rus!

Knights...

brothers in arms...

your courage has been tested

beyond all limits.

Yes.

But l must ask you now for one further trial.

Drink.

We must leave on a final mission for Rome

before our freedom can be granted.

Above the wall, far in the north,

there is a Roman family in need of rescue.

They are trapped by Saxons.

Our orders are to secure their safety.

Let the Romans take care of their own.

Above the wall is Woad territory.

Our duty to Rome,

if it was ever a duty, is done.

Our pact with Rome is done.

Every knight here

has laid his life on the line for you.

For you.

And instead of freedom

you want more blood?

Our blood?

You think more of Roman blood

than you do of ours?

Bors! These are our orders.

We leave at first light, and when we return

your freedom will be waiting for you.

A freedom we can embrace with honor.

l am a free man!

l will choose my own fate!

Yeah, yeah.

We're all going to die someday.

lf it's a death from a Saxon hand

that frightens you, stay home.

Listen, if you're so eager to die,

you can die right now!

- Enough. Enough!

- l've got something to live for!

The Romans have broken their word.

We have the word of Arthur.

That is good enough.

l'll prepare.

Bors?

- You coming?

- Of course l'm coming!

Can't let you go on your own!

You'll all get killed!

l'm just saying what you're all thinking!

Vanora'll kill me.

And you, Gawain?

l'm with you.

Galahad as well.

O merciful God,

l have such need of your mercy now.

Not for myself, but for my knights,

for this is truly their hour of need.

Deliver them from the trials ahead,

and l will repay you a thousandfold

with any sacrifice you ask of me.

And if, in your wisdom,

you should determine that that sacrifice

must be my life for theirs,

so they may once again taste the freedom

that has so long been denied to them,

l will gladly make that covenant.

My death will have a purpose.

l ask no more than that.

Why do you always talk to God

and not to me?

Oh, pray to whomever you pray

that we don't cross the Saxons.

My faith is what protects me, Lancelot.

Why do you challenge this?

l don't like anything

that puts a man on his knees.

No man fears to kneel

before the god he trusts.

Without faith, without belief in something,

what are we?

To try and get past the Woads

in the north is insanity.

- Them we've fought before.

- Not north of the wall!

How many Saxons? Hm?

How many?!

Tell me. Do you believe in this mission?

These people need our help.

- lt is our duty to bring them out.

- l don't care about your charge,

and l don't give a damn about

Romans, Britain or this island.

lf you desire to spend eternity in this place,

Arthur, so be it,

but suicide cannot be chosen for another!

- And yet you choose death for this family!

- No, l choose life!

And freedom for myself and the men!

How many times in battle have we

snatched victory from the jaws of defeat?

Outnumbered, outflanked,

yet still we triumph.

With you at my side, we can do so again.

Lancelot, we are knights.

What other purpose do we serve

if not for such a cause?

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